Clam-opener.



E. D. TIFFANY. CLAM OPENER.

' APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1912.

1,041,198, Patented Oct. 15,1912.

2 SHEETSSHEET l.

[N VEN TOR CO LUI\\UIA PLANOGRAPH CO-JVASHINGTON. D. C.

E. D. TIFFANY.

ULAM OPENER. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 23, 1912.

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WITNESSES INVENTOR gan a 157 9127 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH co.. WASHINGTON D c EDWARD D. TIFFANY, OF ALBION, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF T0 JAMES DE PLANTY, OF ALBION, NEW YORK.

GLAIVI-OPENEB.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Got. 15, 1912.

Application filed January 23, 1912. Serial No. 672,918.

of which the following is a specification, r-ef-.

erence being had therein tothe accompanying drawing. 1

This invention relates to clam openers and has special reference to a clam opening device having clamping means for holding the clam when the same is being opened.

The principal object of the invention is to improve the general construction of device of this character.

Another object of this invention is to provide improved means for holding the clam osition. third object of the invention is to provide means for permitting the clam juice to flow in a predetermined direction so that the same can be collected.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in general of certain novel details of construction, arrangements and combination of parts as will'be hereinafter fully described and illustrated. In the accompanying drawings, like characters of reference indicate like parts in the several views, and Figure 1 is a side elevation of the improved opener constructed in ac- -1s a detail perspective of a certain pawlused in holding the tray in a level position.

This invention has at its front end a pair of spaced standards 10 which rest on feet 11.

These standards are held in position at their 1 upper ends by a cross bar 12. Attached to each of the standards intermediate its height is a frame bar 13 and these bars are bent in at the rear to lie in close proximity as at 14. Between the rear ends of'the bars 13 is a rear leg or standard 15 which is supported on a foot 16. Screw holes may bemade in one or more of the feet 11 and 16, but in the present instance one screw hole is shown in the foot 16 as at 17, as this has been found to be all that was necessary to hold the device in position on a table or bench. Pivotally mounted on the cross bar 12 is an operating lever 18 provided with a handle 19.

Between the ends 14 of the frame bars is a pair of spaced standards 20 which are firmly secured to the frame bars. These standards are formed from a single strip of metal bent at its middle and having the parts adjacent the bend in contact while the ends are spaced to form a species of substantially Y-shaped structure. Between the upper ends of these spaced standards is pivoted the rear end of a knife 21, the forward end of which extends between the standards 10. Intermediate the ends of the lever 18 and the knife 21 the lever and knife are connected by means of pivoted links 22. In order to hold the knife normally in a raised position at its forward end a coil spring surrounds the bar 12 as indicated at 23 and the intermediate portion of this spring passes beneath the lever 18 as at 24 so that, the ends of the spring being hooked around the standards 10, this spring will constantly tend toraise the lever 18 and with it the knife. Extending between the forward ends of the frame bars 13 is a shaft 25 whereon rocks a tray 26 "which is shaped to correspond to the shape of the space between the forward portions of the frame bars 13 and has its upper sides and rear portion surrounded by a rim 27. EX- tending longitudinally of a certain portion of this frame bar is a grooved rib 28 which receives the edge of the'clam to be opened. Pivoted on the bolt 29 which secures the knife 21 to the standards 20 is an upper clamping member which consists of a piece of resilient material bent intermediate its ends as at 30 so that the two portions lie in close proximity. Forward of these two portions the arms of this member are separated as at 31 to lie on opposite sides of the standards 20. These arms are also curved outwardly and inwardly as'at 32 for the purpose of permitting the passage between them of the links 22. On the forward ends of these arms is carried a pair of co-acting clamping members 33 which, when together, present a surface somewhat spoon shaped in form so that the sides of the clam shell are clasped therebetween. These members are separated slightly and their proximal surfaces form a somewhat wedge-shaped groove so that the knife may pass readily between them.

Between the rear end 30 of this spring clamp and the frame members 13 is a compression spring 34 which normally tends to force the members 33 toward the tray 26. Surrounding the bar 25 is a coil spring 35 the middle part of which is unwound to form a bight portion 36 which depends against the forward portion of the underside of the tray 26. The ends of the spring 35 are engaged beneath the frame bars 13 as indicated at 37. For the purpose of utilizing the tray 26 so that its front end dips downward to empty clam juice into a convenient receptacle there is provided a pawl 38 which has its upper end pivoted to the lever 18 and its lower end provided with a notch 39 for engagement beneath the end of the tray, an angled extremity 40 being provided so that it may ride over the end of the tray 26 during the downward movement of the lever. A spring 41 is secured to the lever and pawl at its opposite end and normally tends to draw the pawl upward so that the notch will engage the rear end of the tray when the same is forced clownwardly.

For the purpose of holding the tray in position during the opening of the clam there is provided a pawl 42 which is mounted on a pin 43 soldered or otherwise secured beneath the frame bars 13. This pawl 42 likewise has a notch 44 at its point of extremity 45. Furthermore, the pawl carries just back of the notch a projecting pin 46. This pawl normally has its upper end urged forward by means of a spring 47 attached to the lower end of the pawl at one end and todone of the frame bars 13 at its opposite en 'In the operation of the device the tray is brought to its level position and in this position the notch 44 will engage the rear end of the tray. The clam is then forced in on the tray with the members 33 graspthe tension of the spring 47. This releases the tray from the notch 44 and, at the same time, the lower end of the pawl 38 is forced back against the tension of the spring 41 until the notch 39 engages the rear end of the tray. Upon the release of the handle 19 the tray will be tilted upward to a cer- At the same time the end 40 of the' tain point thus permitting the juice to flow forward where it may be caught in a suitable cup, or other receptacle. The clam may then beremoved from between the clamps and the handle permitted to rise still farther and as the handle rises still farther the pawl 38 will slip off the tray whereby the spring 35 will act to restore the tray to its position,

the rear end of the tray forcing the upper end of the pawl backward so that this rear end is again engaged by the notch 44. It is obvious that the operation may be repeated as often as necessary.

There has thus been provided a simple and efiicient device of the kind described and for the purpose specified.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is

1. In a clam opener, a frame, a tilting frame constituting a tray, a clamp, a second clamp cooperating with the first mentioned clam and consisting of a pair of co-acting members, a knife adapted to move between the members of the second clamp, and means to move said knife.

2. In a clam opener, a frame, a tilting clamp constituting a tray pivoted on said frame, means normally holding said clamp in a horizontal position, means to tilt said clamp, a second clamp co-acting with the first clamp, and a knife for openinga clam held between said clamps.

3. In a clam opener, a frame, a lower clamp mounted on said frame, an upper clamp consisting of a pair of co-acting members having cymbiform proximal surfaces, a pivoted knife mounted to swing between the members of the upper clamp, an operating lever pivoted to said frame, and links connecting said knife and operating. lever.

4. A clam opener, a frame, a tilting lower clamp pivotally mountedon said frame and consisting of a tray, a pawl pivoted on said frame and normally engaging the rear end of said tray to hold the same in a horizontal position, a pawl having a notched end, a spring urging the notched end of said pawl into engagement with said tray, a pin projecting laterally from the pawl adjacent the notch, an operating lever pivotally mounted on said frame, a second pawl pivoted to the operating lever and provided with a pointed end having a notch adjacent thereto, said pointed end being adapted to engage the pin and rear end of the tray as the second pawl is forced downward, and a spring normally urging the lower end of said second pawl forward.

.5. In a clam opener, a. frame, a standard carried by said frame, a strip of resilient metal bent centrally to provide arms, one on each side of said standard, a pair of co-acting clampingjaws, each carried on one of said arms, a spring normally urging said clamping jaws downward, a knife pivoted to said standard to pass bet-ween said clamping jaws, an operating lever, a link connecting said lever and knife, and a second clamp cooperating with said pair of clamping jaws.

6. In a clam opener, a frame, a standard carried by said frame, a strip of resilient metal bent centrally to provide arms, one on each side of said standard, a pair of co-acting clamping jaws, each carried on one of said arms, a spring normally urging said clamping jaws downward, a knife pivoted to said standard to pass between said clamping jaws, an operating lever, a link connecting said lever and knife, a second clamp cooperating with said clamping jaws pivotally mounted on said frame, means normally holding said third clamp in horizontal position, and means connected to said lever for tilting said second clamp.

7. In a clam opener, a frame, a standard carried by said frame, a strip of resilient metal bent centrally to provide arms, one on each side of said standard, a pair of coacting clamping jaws, each carried on one of said arms, a spring normally urging said clamping jaws downward, a knife pivoted to said standard to pass between said clamping aws, an operating lever, a link connecting said lever and knife, a second clamp cooperating with said clamping jaws pivotally mounted on 'said frame, means normally holding said second clamp in horizontal position, and means connected to said lever for tilting said second clamp, and a spring for returning the second clamp to horizontal position when tilted.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EDWARD D. TIFFANY. WVit-nesses JAMES A. DE PLANTY, WALTER P. RHOADS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

